Trial requested for tax case

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office plans to go to trial to seize years of unpaid property taxes from a Houma oil and gas company, the department's attorney says.

Mary KilpatrickStaff Writer

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office plans to go to trial to seize years of unpaid property taxes from a Houma oil and gas company, the department's attorney says.Sheriff Jerry Larpenter filed suit after taking office last year in an effort to collect the $394,627 in taxes from Baby Oil. He did so after a private audit determined his predecessor, former Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois, didn't collect the taxes from the company and its owner, Neil Suard, between 2009 and 2012.The two sides have been negotiating but have reached no agreement, Sheriff's Attorney Bill Dodd said.Dodd said he has filed a motion asking state District Judge John Walker of Houma to set a trial date.Jerald Block, a Thibodaux attorney representing Baby Oil, couldn't be reached for comment. The state legislative auditor reported last month that Bourgeois failed to either sell or seize Baby Oil's property, as required by law, to satisfy the delinquent tax bill.Bourgeois told investigators he did not recall any issues with Baby Oil and learned about the delinquent taxes while reading a news account after leaving office, the report says.Baby Oil requested extensions to pay its taxes in 2010 and 2011, but Sheriff's Office records show none were granted, the report says. Bourgeois told the agency he does not recall authorizing an extension for Baby Oil.The Sheriff Office tax department director said Bourgeois "personally brought one of the extension requests to the tax office and gave it to one of her employees," the legislative auditor's report says. She also remembered when she told Bourgeois about the unpaid taxes during a meeting and Bourgeois told her to give the company an extension."The sheriff has no legal authority to give people extra time," Dodd said.